The Moon — Verse 30

How then were My chastisement and My warnings? My warning them of chastisement before it was sent down? In other words it was justified. He explains it their chastisement by saying

فنادوا صاحبهم بالحض على عقرها، فتناول الناقة بيده، فنحرها فعاقَبْتُهم، فكيف كان عقابي لهم على كفرهم، وإنذاري لمن عصى رسلي؟

أي فعاقبتهم فكيف كان عقابي لهم على كفرهم بي وتكذيبهم رسولي.

والتعبير بقوله - تعالى بعد ذلك : ( فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ) يشير إلى هول العقوبة التى نزلت بهم ، بسبب ما فعلوه من عقر الناقة ، ومن تكذيبهم لنبيهم .أى : انظر وتدبر - أيها العاقل - كيف كان عذابى وإنذارى لهؤلاء القوم؟ لقد كان شيئا هائلا لا تحيط به العبارة .

وقوله ( فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ) يقول جلّ ثناؤه لقريش: فكيف كان عذابي إياهم معشر قريش حين عذبتهم ألم أهلكهم بالرجفة. ونُذُر: يقول: فكيف كان إنذاري من أنذرت من الأمم بعدهم بما فعلت بهم وأحللت بهم من العقوبة.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني محمد بن سعد, قال: ثنى أبي, قال: ثني عمي, قال: ثني أبي, عن أبيه, عن ابن عباس , قوله ( فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ ) قال: تناولها بيده ( فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ ) قال: يقال: إنه ولد زنية فهو من التسعة الذين كانوا يُفسدون في الأرض, ولا يصلحون, وهم الذين قالوا لصالح لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ولنقتلنهم.

" فكيف كان عذابي ونذر "، ثم بين عذابهم فقال:

فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ (30(القول فيه كالقول في نظيره الواقع في قصة قوم نوح فليس هو تكريراً ولكنه خاص بهذه القصة .

{ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ } كان أشد عذاب

أي إنذاري ; قال الفراء : إنذاري ; قال مصدران .وقيل : " نذر " جمع نذير ونذير بمعنى الإنذار كنكير بمعنى الإنكار .

A prophet always appears in the shape of an ordinary man. So, man is not able to recognise him. Similarly, the she-camel sent by God was also apparently like an ordinary camel. So, the people of Thamud were unable to recognise it and killed it. Our world presents just this kind of test. Here, people are required to see the representative of God in the apparently ordinary person and the she-camel of God in the apparently ordinary she-camel. Those who fail in this test never find the path of righteousness. Though the Quran is a deeply meaningful book, there is the utmost clarity in its style of expression. For this reason it has become very easy to understand the Quran, whether its readers be of greater or lesser education.

Lexicological Analysis The word سُعُر su'ur has appeared twice in this Surah. First it has appeared in verse 24 in connection with the people of Thamud where it is their own word, and means 'madness or insanity'. The second time, the word appears in connection with the punishment of the sinners where it is the word of Allah in the forthcoming verse [ 47] فِي ضَلَالٍ وَسُعُرٍ‌. Here the word سُعُر su'ur may also be taken in the sense of Hell-Fire. According to lexicologists, the word su'ur is used in both these senses. رَ‌اوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيْفِهِ (And they had even tried to tempt him against his guests...54:37). The word murawadah signifies to entice someone to satisfy one's lust. This verse refers to the night when the angels came to Prophet Lut (علیہ السلام) in the shape of handsome young men, as a test from Allah for his people who were addicted to homosexuality. Prophet Lut (علیہ السلام) hosted his guests. The licentious people came to him from every direction, and the Prophet Lut (علیہ السلام) had to shut the door to protect his guests. They came during the night and tried to break the door down and scale the walls to come in. The immoral behaviour of his people distressed Prophet Lut (علیہ السلام) but when the guests revealed to him that they were angels and have been sent by Allah to inflict destructive punishment on his people, he felt comforted; they assured him that they will not be able to hurt them in any way. Surah Al-Qamar started on the note that Doomsday is fast approaching, so that the infidels and pagans, who have lust and greed for this world and are unaware of the Hereafter, come to their senses. First, the punishment of the Hereafter is mentioned. Then the evil consequences of their misdeeds in the present life are cited. Reference is made to the conditions of world-famous nations, their opposition to their respective prophets and its evil consequences. The people of Lut (علیہ السلام) were the first people who were destroyed by Divine punishment. Many different kinds of devastating torments were inflicted on the people of Lut (علیہ السلام) ، the tribes of ` Ad, Thamud and Lut (علیہ السلام) and the people of Fir'aun in this world. Their stories and histories are recounted in detail on several occasions in the Qur'an. Here they have been condensed. All these five nations were the strongest and resourceful. It was not possible for any of the subdued nations to overcome any of these superpowers. The current set of verses show how the superpowers were destroyed by Divine punishment. After describing the punishment of each nation, the Qur'an repeats the following statement as a refrain: فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِي وَنُذُرِ‌ (How then was My torment and My warnings?). That is, when the Divine chastisement overtook these nations who were very powerful in terms of might, wealth and number were killed like flies and mosquitoes. In addition, the following verse is repeated to advise the Muslims and the infidels in general: وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْ‌نَا الْقُرْ‌آنَ لِلذِّكْرِ‌ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ‌ (and indeed We have made the Qur'an easy for seeking advice. So, is there one to seek advice?) This is to indicate that the only way to avoid the terrible chastisement is to take to the advice of the Qur'an. Allah has made the Qur'an easy to the extent of paying heed to the admonition and warnings. Only the most ill-fated person will not take advantage of the warnings. The forthcoming verses address the people of the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that they are not more powerful in terms of wealth, number and might than the people of Prophet Lut (علیہ السلام) the tribes of ` Ad and Thamud, Prophet Lut’ s علیہ السلام people and the people of Fir'aun. Then how are they sitting in a careless manner?

(Then see) O Muhammad (how (dreadful) was My punishment after My warnings!) and how was the state of those warned by Salih but who rejected faith

The Story of Thamud Allah states here that the people of Thamud denied their Messenger Salih, فَقَالُواْ أَبَشَراً مِّنَّا وَحِداً نَّتَّبِعُهُ إِنَّآ إِذاً لَّفِى ضَلَـلٍ وَسُعُرٍ (And they said: "A man, alone among us -- shall we follow him Truly, then we should be in error and distress!") They said, `We would have earned failure and loss if we all submitted to a man from among us.' They were amazed that the Reminder was sent to him alone among them, and therefore, accused him of being a liar, بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ (Nay, he is an insolent liar!), means, he has tresspassed the limits in his lies. Allah the Exalted responded, سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَداً مَّنِ الْكَذَّابُ الاٌّشِرُ (Tomorrow they will come to know who is the liar, the insolent one!), thus warning and threatening them and delivering a sure promise to them, إِنَّا مُرْسِلُواْ النَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةً لَّهُمْ (Verily, We are sending the she-camel as a test for them.) To test and try the people of Thamud, Allah sent to them a superb, pregnant female camel that emerged from solid rock, according to their request, so that it would become a proof against them from Allah, the Exalted. Thereafter, they were supposed to believe in what was brought to them by Salih, peace be upon him. Allah ordered His servant and Messenger Salih, فَارْتَقِبْهُمْ وَاصْطَبِرْ (So watch them, and be patient!) Allah commanded, `await, O Salih, and see what will become of them and be patient; verily the better end will be yours and you will have success in this life and the Hereafter,' وَنَبِّئْهُمْ أَنَّ الْمَآءَ قِسْمَةٌ بَيْنَهُمْ (And inform them that the water is to be shared between them) one day for her to drink and one day for them to drink, قَالَ هَـذِهِ نَاقَةٌ لَّهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ (He said: "Here is a she-camel: it has a right to drink, and you have a right to drink (water) on a day, known.") (26:155) Allah's statement, كُلُّ شِرْبٍ مُّحْتَضَرٌ (each one's right to drink being established.) Mujahid said, "When she did not drink, they would drink the water, and when she drank, they would drink her milk." Allah the Exalted said; فَنَادَوْاْ صَـحِبَهُمْ فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ (But they called their comrade and he took and killed.) According to the Scholars of Tafsir, his name was Qudar bin Salif; he was the evilest among them, إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَـهَا (When the most wicked man among them went forth (to kill the she-camel).)(91:12) Allah said here, فَتَعَاطَى (and he took) meaning to harm, فَعَقَرَفَكَيْفَ كَانَ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ (and killed (her). Then, how was My torment and My warnings), `I tormented them, so how was the torment I sent on them because of their disbe- lief in Me and denying My Messenger' إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ صَيْحَةً وَحِدَةً فَكَانُواْ كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ (Verily, We sent against them a single Sayhah, and they became like straw Al-Muhtazir.) They all perished and none of them remained. They were no more, they died out, just as plants and grass dry and die out. As-Suddi said that they became like the dry grass in the desert when it becomes burned and the wind scatters it all about. Ibn Zayd said, "The Arabs used to erect fences (Hizar, from which the word, Al-Muhtazir, is derived) made of dried bushes, around their camels and cattle, so Allah said, كَهَشِيمِ الْمُحْتَظِرِ (like straw Al-Muhtazir.)